140 SHORT STALKS 



and nearly all the men had already reached it. Willie and 

 I were nearly in the rear of the line, when two fine ram 

 mouHons appeared within a few yards of the path. It 

 was blowing a gale of wind, and I suppose that this, and 

 the fact tliat the gronnd was covered with snow, had 

 prevented their hearing the tramp of the mules. As 

 usually happened our rifles were not to hand, and the 

 animals passed, as we found by their tracks, within six 

 yards of tlie tower withdut any one there being aware of it. 

 Again, an hour later, just as it was getting dark, I saw 

 from the tower another mouflou cross an opening scarcely 

 two hundred yards ofl'. I rushed out, but there were 

 numerous bushes to hide him, and, the darkness coming 

 on and clouds blowino" ui), 1 could not siirht him ao-ain. 



What lio-ht there was after our arrival we used in 

 stuffing up the loopholes of the tower, as well as we could, 

 with pieces of wood, tent covers, etc., as the wind literally 

 screamed through them, and in sweeping out the snow 

 which lay in fine powder on the tiled floor, with extem- 

 porised Itrooms of thuja Ijushes. This building was 

 devised solely for observation and defence, but it has been 

 disused l)y the authorities since they have carried the 

 telegTa[)li to El Kantara, and the Arabs have taken 

 advantage of tin's to loot the place as far as they could, 

 and especially to remove all the locks, so an entrance was 

 easily effected. It is a solidly-built stone structure, two 

 stories high, each of which is approached by ladders only, 

 which can be withdrawn through trap-doors. At the top, 

 angular projections of iron pierced for musketry command 

 every side in case of attack. Each floor is also loopholed. 

 On the top story is a little stove, and there we established 



